


Making It Work

by qb_cereal



Series: Grey, Brown, and Gold [2]
Category: Ookiku Furikabutte
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Growing Up, Multi, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 18:55:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/298955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qb_cereal/pseuds/qb_cereal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes a lot of work to keep three people happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Progress

**Author's Note:**

> A drabble, leading into following chapters.

Mihashi runs up to him after practice and says, “Abe-kun, can we go to a movie on the weekend?”

Mizutani and Izumi are watching him intently, Abe realises, and that’s odd.

“Sure, what do you want to see?”

Mihashi grins. Mizutani’s jaw drops. Izumi raises an eyebrow.

“There’s a monster movie on Tajima says we’ll all like!”

Abe sighs. It will have no plot at _all_.

“I’ll go if your weight is still over fifty-seven on Saturday.”

Mihashi grins, nods obediently and runs off to get his onigiri from Shinooka.

“Can you… _understand_ him now?” Mizutani says in disbelief. “ _How_?”


	2. Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains sad, and then happy. Also swearing.

The game is over. High school baseball is over. Tajima hasn’t noticed yet, because he’s too fucking optimistic, but the game really ended in the eighth and Nishiura doesn’t have a chance. Abe tightens his hands on the fence of the dugout and stares determinedly at the ground. He doesn’t have to look up. He doesn’t have to look at Mihashi being struck out for the last time. He doesn’t have to see it end.

There are two outs on the board, no runners on base, and the batter is Mihashi. It’s the final game of the prefectural tournament and it’s over and Abe wishes Tajima would stop digging his nails into Abe’s shoulder every time a strike is called. Tajima is still hoping and Abe doesn’t bother to correct him because after one more pitch he won’t have to.

The pitch comes. Tajima’s nails dig into Abe’s shoulder just before the strike gets called. Cheers erupt around the stadium and Mihashi falls to his knees on the plate. Tajima sobs and suddenly his arms are around Abe’s shoulders, clinging and shaking, and he buries his face in Abe’s neck. Abe shakes him off – not because the team is all around them, that doesn’t matter any more – because Mihashi needs them right now. They walk out of the dugout, leaving the other third-years crying behind them.

Mihashi cringes as they approach, and gets to his feet and walks back to the dugout so fast he might as well be running. Abe reaches for him, but there are tears in his eyes and Mihashi flinches away from him and is gone. Abe holds on to Tajima, instead, and they go back to the bus in silence.

-

The post-game meeting is so unproductive Abe doesn’t even know why Momoe insists on holding it. The third-years cry, even Izumi, and Hanai is crying so hard he can’t even facilitate the discussion this time. They were so, so close. The second-years try to discuss strategy, but they seem to be in awe at the idea of losing their seniors. The upheaval to the team will be huge and everything will change now. Worst of all, Mihashi sits on the opposite side of the circle from Tajima and Abe and doesn’t say a word throughout.

When the meeting finally ends, Abe grabs Tajima’s arm and drags him to the locker room to wait for Mihashi there. He needs them right now, but something is more wrong than that. He’s learnt this year to go to one of them when he’s afraid or sad or anxious, but now he’s running away again. They stand by the door of the locker room and wait, watching the others file in miserably. Mihashi doesn’t appear, not even when the rest of the team is showered and changed and leaving, and Tajima silently removes Abe’s hand from his arm and rubs at the nail-marks in his skin. He’s still crying quietly, rubbing the tears away over and over again. Abe touches his own face, finds it wet, and scrubs at it with his hand.

“Mihashi rode off in his uniform.”

Momoe appears at the door, arms folded, and Abe swears under his breath. He hadn’t considered that. Mihashi is trying much too hard to avoid them, and Abe _can’t_ lose him now. Not today.

They shower as fast as they can while hanging on to each other. There’s no-one to see them share a stall and Tajima seems as reluctant to let go as Abe feels. Mihashi’s parents probably won’t let them into the house without showering, so they get it over with and run for their bikes. They stand, staring at the bike rack for a moment, until Abe makes an exasperated noise and yanks his hand out of Tajima’s. Tajima winces, but he goes ahead and unlocks his own bike. They don’t even try to speak on the ride to Mihashi’s.

They arrive and knock at the door and Abe grinds his teeth and paces on the step until Mihashi’s mother finally opens the door. He bows very stiffly.

“Ren is upset about the game today,” he says politely, “We’d like to see him and try to cheer him up.”

She ushers them inside, talking about how _worried_ she was and how _miserable_ her son is, and Abe bites his tongue against impolite remarks. She doesn’t understand Mihashi at all, and that infuriates Abe. Someday, he’ll take Mihashi away with Tajima and everything will be wonderful.

Today, they kick their shoes off and, as they make their way up the stairs, Tajima says, “Takaya… I can’t cheer him up when I feel so down about the game.”

His voice is low and unhappy and Abe takes his hand, Mihashi’s parents be damned.

“We all need cheering up. We need to be together.”

Tajima relaxes a little and threads his fingers between Abe’s. Abe knocks on Mihashi’s door, and it opens a moment later. Mihashi is still in his uniform. His eyes are red and his face is streaked with tears and dirt. He hasn’t taken a shower at home, either. When he sees his boyfriends at the door, his eyes widen in surprise and he backs away.

Abe grabs him around the waist, drags him over to the bed and throws him on it. Mihashi whimpers and curls up in a ball and Abe climbs onto the bed and drags Mihashi close and presses his face into Mihashi’s shoulder. Tajima lies down on Mihashi’s other side, and they’ve gotten pretty good at balancing three people on a single bed, when necessary, so they curl around their pitcher and just hold on.

Mihashi starts stuttering apologies and Abe ignores them and kisses Mihashi’s neck.

“Ren! Don’t be stupid, we don’t blame you,” Tajima says, sounding hurt. Mihashi sobs some more.

“Even if you had gotten on base, we were two runs behind at the bottom of the line-up. _Ren_ , it wasn’t your fault. Are we acting like we hate you?”

“N… no?”

“Do you trust us?”

Mihashi nods violently and Abe tightens his arms around Mihashi’s waist. This is what he wanted. Everything is better now that Mihashi is _here_ and Abe can deal with anything. He’s pretty sure Tajima feels the same way, which is why he dragged him here in such a hurry.

“Abe… kun… I… I was supposed to… Koshien!” Mihashi says miserably, and it’s almost a complete sentence, so Mihashi must be feeling better, too.

“We all wanted to go to Koshien, Ren,” Abe says softly, trying not to sound annoyed because he really isn’t, “It wasn’t anyone’s fault we didn’t make it.”

Tajima licks Mihashi’s ear and Mihashi squirms and almost smiles and Abe feels like a weight has fallen from his heart. They can still be okay, even without baseball.

“Ren, I really want to be with you right now, but could you go and take a shower?” Abe says, now that he’s sure Mihashi is okay.

“Nnn,” Mihashi says, and climbs over him to get up. Tajima grins, at last, and follows him into the bathroom. Abe warns them to be quiet, and doesn’t smile until they’ve left the room. They can do this. Their relationship can survive. He can keep these two oh-so-important people in his life and he can keep them happy.

When Mihashi and Tajima return from the bathroom, they’re both only wearing towels. Their lack of subtlety isn’t exactly what Abe loves about them, but he loves _them_ , so he smiles like they’re hoping he will. Mihashi glances askance at Tajima and Tajima nods and Mihashi leans over Abe, who’s still lying on the bed, and grabs his collar and kisses him hard.

Abe wraps both arms around Mihashi’s neck and kisses back hungrily. Tajima applauds, and Mihashi pulls back smiling in that way that makes Abe fall in love with him all over again. Abe’s boyfriends pile back onto the bed and Abe, and Tajima has already divested himself of his towel, and Abe realises he’s clinging to more Tajima than Mihashi. He doesn’t move, though, because Mihashi still looks comfortable, and Tajima is just as warm and almost as precious.

But then Mihashi sobs again, and apologises again, and clings to Tajima’s arm and Abe’s shirt.

“I… I really _wanted_ … and I thought we… we could make it… this year…”

They hold him tighter in turn, and Abe kisses Mihashi’s shoulder and Tajima kisses Mihashi.

“Yeah, we did, too. We worked hard for it. But… we got something else out of our high school baseball, right?” Tajima says gently.

Mihashi nods, still sniffling, and Abe sits up on the edge of the bed and says, “Come on, we can make you feel better.”

Mihashi says, “You… don’t have… to,” but he’s starting to smile and that’s that answer Abe wants.

“Yuuichirou, do you want to do the honours?”

Honestly, Abe would prefer to do it himself, but Tajima needs cheering up too, and this works.

Tajima beams and says, “Of course!”

Abe settles his back against the headboard and pulls Mihashi into his lap, chest pressed to Mihashi’s back, legs outlining Mihashi’s, arms around Mihashi’s waist. Tajima crawls between Mihashi’s legs and yanks his towel away, grinning.

So as Tajima slowly, lovingly starts to suck Mihashi’s dick and Mihashi gasps and squirms and moans, Abe runs his hands through Mihashi’s hair and kisses his neck and whispers _Ren, Ren, my Ren_ over and over again. It's the best way to make Mihashi feel safe and happy and loved again, so it's become something of a habit.

They're together, and that’s even more important than baseball, where nothing has ever been more important that baseball before. It’s new, and it’s enough.


	3. How It Works

Tajima gives up trying to explain it to the rest of the baseball team. Nobody understands why it works or how it can continue to work. Tajima wants everyone to know how happy he is and how lucky he is, but they don’t get it.

Abe loves Mihashi best. Tajima loves Mihashi best, or at least he _thinks_ he does. The really important thing, though, is that Mihashi is completely head-over-heels in love with both Abe and Tajima. He still buys them flowers - which they would hate if they weren’t from Mihashi - and insists on taking photographs every couple of weeks with all three of them in his garden or on the baseball field at school. He’s the centre of this relationship, this family, and he deserves to be because he works so very hard and he loves so very hard and Tajima wants to protect him from all the bad things in the world.

Tajima is okay with sharing, because he had five brothers growing up and sharing toys always meant more ideas and more games and everyone having fun at the same time. Abe is okay with sharing, he tells Tajima, because it makes Mihashi happy and that’s the most important thing in his life. They need to share, because Mihashi is high-maintenance. They know that and they understand each other in the exhausting whirlwind that is loving him, indulging him and taking care of him at the same time.

There is no third-wheel in this thing that they have. Abe needs Tajima to love Mihashi and Tajima needs Abe and it _works_ , because they’re only happy when somebody needs them.


	4. (A Triangle Has) Three Sides

“Oh, fuck,” Abe gasps, and Mihashi freezes.

Tajima catches sight of Abe’s expression and says, “Ren, don’t stop. He’s not made of glass.”

Abe tries to look grateful, but then Mihashi thrusts forward again and _oh, fuck_. This is absolutely his favourite part of this whole weird relationship, even despite Tajima. Tajima, who is sitting at the head of the bed, jerking off almost absent-mindedly, and talking about how wonderful Mihashi is. Abe _knows_ how wonderful Mihashi is and also how wonderful Mihashi’s dick is because it’s in _his_ ass, and he really doesn’t need Tajima’s input right now.

Luckily, thinking mostly stops after that, because Tajima’s encouragement starts to work and Mihashi starts fucking Abe properly and it is definitely, completely worth every second of exasperation Abe has put up with in this relationship.

“Yeah, that’s good, Ren. You’re amazing. Yes, Takaya’s enjoying it. Because you’re incredible and your dick feels great! I’m enjoying it just watching you. You’re amazing. You’re doing fine. We love you.”

Tajima maintains his monologue of all the things Abe would like to say if he could speak and finally Mihashi stops tentatively touching Abe’s back and settles his hands on Abe’s waist and snaps his hips forward and _moans_. It’s an inexperienced imitation of one of Tajima’s tactics, but it feels better than Abe expected and Mihashi sounds fucking hot when he’s enjoying himself. Abe presses back against him and Mihashi does it again, once, twice, and then collapses against Abe’s back, whispering _thank you, thank you, thank you_.

Mihashi withdraws a moment later and Abe rolls onto his back, cock hard, breathing hard, and trying not to scowl at the sudden emptiness. As Mihashi disposes of his condom and settles himself at the head of the bed, Tajima gives Abe an uncomfortable look, and Abe looks away. Okay, so they tend to indulge Mihashi in bed, but he usually lasts longer and this hasn’t been an issue before. Mihashi looks so supremely happy that Abe doesn’t want to say anything. Maybe he should just take a cold shower.

“Abe-kun and Tajima-kun?”

Abe glances at Tajima who says, “Use our names, Ren, we’re having sex.”

The look on Tajima’s face speaks volumes. He’s a little nervous at what Mihashi might say, but he’s steeling himself to give Mihashi anything he asks for, because that’s just what they do. They won him and they worked hard for him, and they will do everything in their power to make sure he’ll never be satisfied with anyone else. Abe knows exactly how Tajima feels, and they both know they aren’t going to deny Mihashi anything he asks for.

Mihashi fidgets and stares at his hands and stammers, so Abe rests a hand on his back and says, “We don’t have to do anything. It’s up to you. But we’ve only got an hour and a half left.”

It’s November already, and exams are the number one priority. If he can get these two idiots to pass their subjects and graduate, Abe is going to find them a house and they can all move out together. Then it will be worth all this awful study-scheduling, which only allows for a couple of hours of sex twice a week to keep them all sane.

“Yuui…chirou,” Mihashi murmurs, blushing, and Tajima beams at him, “I, I, I want you and… and Takaya to… to… um, have sex.” He finishes in a whisper, and looks up at them hopefully.

“Okay!” says Tajima.

“Whatever you want,” Abe tells Mihashi, “How, um, how do you want it?”

Mihashi shrugs and grins and stares at Abe with an expression of awe that Abe had honestly thought he’d stop seeing after this all became common and normal and routine for him.

“Well,” Tajima begins cheerfully, “you’ve already lubed Takaya’s ass so nicely. It would be a shame to waste the effort.”

“All right, all right,” Abe replies awkwardly and Tajima scrambles over him and crawls between his legs. Abe shifts to roll back over, but Tajima wraps his hands around Abe’s calves and tugs him closer.

“Ah… you want me on my back?”

“Yup. I think you’ll like it. Ren?”

Mihashi makes a slightly strangled, whimpering noise of sheer pleasure that Abe can’t deny. Tajima grins in his Tajima way and Abe feels surprisingly vulnerable to be facing him, to have Tajima looking at him like this. But when Tajima tears his gaze from Mihashi’s face to meet Abe’s eyes, his face softens unexpectedly.

“I’ll be gentle, Takaya.”

There’s an awful lot of affection in his voice and Abe starts to relax.

“Yeah. I know.”

Tajima holds out his hand and Mihashi tosses him a new condom with shaking hands. It lands on Abe stomach and Tajima covers it with his hand for a second, warm and reassuring. He raises an eyebrow and Abe nods so Tajima tears the condom open and slips it on with practiced hands. Tajima slides a finger into Abe’s ass and it feels pretty slick and pretty good, but Tajima pauses and asks Mihashi to pass him more lube. He’s being careful and gentle and Abe finds himself feeling safe, even though he can’t see Mihashi from here, even though Tajima is still his… rival, isn’t he?

Tajima spends an excessive amount of time applying what seems like half the contents of his tiny bottle of lubricant to Abe and pressing one finger into his asshole, only to remove it again and go back to the lube.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have put the condom on so early.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to get soft doing _this_.”

Abe looks away, cheeks red, and wonders if this is how Mihashi feels all of the time. He hopes it is. Finally, Tajima’s second finger follows his first and it feels surprisingly good compared to Mihashi’s rough preparation five minutes earlier.

“If you tilt your head back, you’ll see Ren agrees with me.”

Abe is about to do as he suggests, but Tajima does _something_ with his fingers. Suddenly, Abe’s back is arched, his head thrown back against the bed and his throat is making noises it has no business making without his permission. A moment later, when he can breathe again, he pushes himself up on one elbow and stares at Tajima.

“Yuuichi-”

Tajima grins and does it again.

Abe doesn’t bother trying to get up again. He stays sprawled across the bed, hips lifted towards Tajima, staring upside-down at Mihashi’s face. Mihashi looks so happy, so grateful, so adoring and he glances between his lovers over and over like he can’t quite believe what they’re willing to do for him.

That’s right, Abe is doing this for Mihashi. The fact that Tajima is making him incredibly hard is secondary, incidental. Abe realises he’s inching closer to Tajima and gasping and swearing under his breath. It’s mostly involuntary, but as long as Tajima keeps doing things with his amazing hands, Abe doesn’t care.

“Oh, fuck, Yuuichirou, fuck, yes, fuck, _fuck_ …”

Tajima takes his hands away to pull Abe’s hips closer and carefully lifts Abe’s leg over one shoulder and positions his dick against Abe’s asshole.

“Are you su-”

“You know I’m not made of glass,” Abe growls, feeling off-balance and open and desperate, “so just fuck me.”

Tajima presses forward, still slow and careful, until Abe growls in his throat and thrusts against him. Tajima whimpers and digs his fingers into Abe’s hip. His eyelids flutter closed for a moment and then he beams – and since when did that smile make Abe’s heart unsteady? – and says, “Well, if _that’s_ the way you want it.”

His voice cracks just a little, and Abe feels kind of like a god to be able to make Tajima react this way, and then Tajima is fucking him hard and fast and grinning at him. Abe wants to reach for him, wants to touch him even more, but he’s not sure he can move. Then, Tajima opens his mouth and starts saying Abe’s name, over and over, and praising him like he always praises Mihashi. In the heat of the moment, it doesn’t feel silly or condescending. It feels genuine and tender and _fantastic_.

“Takaya, Takaya, you have no idea how hot you are right now, Takaya, you feel amazing, oh god, Takaya…”

Tajima reaches for Abe’s dick and runs his thumb along the underside in that way Mihashi loves, and Abe feels like he’s finally opening his eyes. Tajima is right here and he loves Mihashi. He loves Mihashi and he understands Abe and he loves Abe and he’s doing truly amazing things with his truly wonderful cock and he’s _right here_ and Abe feels like he’s seeing Tajima for the first time. Tajima knows what it’s like to love Mihashi, and this wonderful, cheerful, strong person who loves Mihashi is fucking _him_ and Abe feels completely overwhelmed at the idea.

Abe grabs for him at last, wrapping a hand around Tajima’s wrist. Tajima responds by wrapping his own hand around Abe’s dick and stroking expertly, and he still hasn’t stopped _talking_. He says _Takaya_ again and that’s all it takes. Abe comes, into his hand and all over his stomach, and with Tajima’s name on his lips. Tajima shuts his eyes tightly as Abe calls his name. He falls silent but his smile doesn’t waver for a second as he comes, clutching at Abe and gasping for air.

Tajima doesn’t collapse right away like Mihashi, and Abe wants to drag him down and cling to him but he’s not sure he won’t say something stupid like _I love you, as well, you know_.

Tajima makes a face as he pulls off the condom and drops it into the trash can that they keep by the bed, and finally leans down and wraps his arms around Abe. Mihashi crawls over and slots himself in beside them and Abe grabs them both and holds on to them for a long time. He deliberately doesn’t ask what time it is because he wants to lie here forever.

Eventually Mihashi points out they only have half an hour until his alarm goes off, and can he have first shower?

“Nope,” Tajima says, surprising both of them, “fucked in the ass gets first shower. That’s the way it goes.”

Abe gives him a tiny smile and disentangles himself from the pile of happy teenager and makes himself decent before he leaves the room. There is still lube everywhere, and he’ll have to hide these underpants from his mother and wash them himself. He makes it to the bathroom and locks the door behind him before rubbing the tears from his eyes. He is so, so lucky.

When he gets back to the bedroom he kisses Tajima first, then Mihashi. Tajima beams like a child at his first baseball game. Mihashi takes the second shower.

“Thank you,” Abe says, when Mihashi has gone, hoping it will stand for all the rest.

“I love you, as well,” Tajima says honestly, so it does.


End file.
